Comparison
Finovo vs Tiime
Tiime is popular with French freelancers and micro-businesses for its simplicity and free plan. Here’s what changes when your business grows or goes international.
People comparing Finovo vs Tiime are usually French freelancers or micro-businesses who started on Tiime's free plan and are now bumping into its ceiling. Tiime is genuinely good at what it does — simple invoicing and accountant collaboration — but it leans on your accountant for many compliance steps and stops at the French border. If you are looking for a Tiime alternative as you grow, this page is for you.
Unlike Tiime, Finovo lets you submit French DGFiP TVA directly rather than via your accountant, and covers UK HMRC Making Tax Digital and German ELSTER in the same ledger under one subscription. The difference is whether you want a light micro-business tool with an accountant in the loop, or a full workspace you can run yourself across countries.
Below is an honest split of where Tiime is strong, a detailed feature comparison, a pricing snapshot to verify on Tiime's site, a step-by-step migration guide from Tiime to Finovo, and the questions growing founders ask most before switching.
Tiime
Where Tiime genuinely wins
- ✓A genuinely free basic plan — an unbeatable risk-free entry point for new French freelancers.
- ✓A clean, simple interface designed for independants who are not accountants.
- ✓Native accountant collaboration is a real strength for the French expert-comptable model.
- ✓Solid mobile receipt capture and automatic categorisation for everyday micro-business admin.
- ✓Low full-plan price (€14.90/mo) that suits very small, France-only operations.
Where Tiime is weaker as you grow
- ✗DGFiP CA3 is prepared in-app but typically submitted via your accountant rather than directly.
- ✗No UK HMRC MTD or German ELSTER filing — international operations are out of scope.
- ✗No native payroll — DSN/URSSAF runs through an accountant integration rather than the product.
- ✗French-only interface and EUR focus; bilingual or multi-currency teams hit limits quickly.
- ✗The collaboration model means several compliance steps depend on your accountant, not you.
Finovo
Why Finovo fits founders who outgrow micro tooling
- ✓Direct DGFiP TVA submission from the product — no accountant required for the filing step.
- ✓One subscription also covers UK MTD and German ELSTER, so expansion does not mean new tools.
- ✓French, UK and German payroll paths included from the Professional tier — not an accountant add-on.
- ✓A full double-entry ledger, multi-currency with live ECB/BoE rates, and a branded client portal.
- ✓Full EN / FR / DE interface and open banking across 2,400+ UK and EU institutions with daily sync.
Where Tiime still makes sense
- ~If you are a brand-new France-only freelancer, Tiime's free plan is hard to beat on price while you find your feet.
- ~Tiime's stripped-back simplicity suits people who want the absolute minimum and rely fully on their accountant.
- ~Finovo's depth is more than a very small single-country operation needs until it starts to grow or cross borders.
Feature
| Feature | Finovo | Tiime |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | £15/mo · €18/mo | Free (basic plan) · €14.90/mo (full) |
| French VAT (DGFiP / CA3) | Included — direct DGFiP CA3 submission (FR launch pending approval) | Yes — CA3 preparation, submission via accountant |
| UK VAT (HMRC MTD) | Included — direct MTD submission | Not supported |
| German VAT (ELSTER) | Included — direct ELSTER submission (DE launch pending approval) | Not supported |
| French Payroll (DSN/URSSAF) | Included from Professional plan | Not native — via accountant integration |
| UK Payroll (PAYE) | Included from Professional plan | Not supported |
| Full tax return (liasse fiscale) | Export for accountant | Native accountant collaboration — a strength |
| Open banking | 2,400+ UK & EU banks — daily sync | French banks — daily sync |
| Invoicing | Invoices, quotes, credit notes, delivery notes, orders | Full invoicing — suited for micro-businesses |
| Receipt capture (OCR) | AI OCR — mobile + web | Yes — receipt scan via mobile app |
| Bank reconciliation | AI — automatic match suggestions | Yes — automatic categorisation |
| Multi-currency | 50+ currencies — live ECB/BoE rates | Limited — EUR focused |
| Client portal | Yes — online payment portal | Payment link sharing |
| EN / FR / DE interface | Yes — three languages | French only |
| Free trial | 60 days (Professional) or 30 days — no card required | Free plan available (limited features) |
Pricing comparison (verify before you buy)
Tiime wins on headline price at entry with a free plan, so the real comparison is total cost once you add the features and accountant fees needed to match Finovo. Use this as a planning snapshot and confirm live numbers on Tiime's site.
| What you are comparing | Finovo | Tiime |
|---|---|---|
| Typical entry price (public list) | Starter from £15/mo (≈ €18/mo) — full stack | Free basic plan · €14.90/mo full plan |
| Direct French TVA filing (no accountant step) | Included — direct DGFiP CA3 submission (FR launch pending approval) | CA3 prepared in-app, submitted via accountant |
| UK + Germany compliance in the same product | Included — MTD and ELSTER alongside DGFiP | Not supported — French market only |
| Payroll | UK, FR and DE paths included from Professional plan | Not native — via accountant integration |
| Free trial / free plan | 60 days (Professional) or 30 days, card not required | Free basic plan (limited features) |
A free or cheap entry plan changes the comparison only until you need direct filing, payroll, multi-currency or another country. Model the accountant fees and extra tools you would still pay for before concluding Tiime is cheaper overall.
Switching from Tiime to Finovo
Tiime exports to CSV cleanly, and most micro-business migrations finish in well under a day. If your accountant has been handling filing, loop them in early so the handover of DGFiP responsibilities is clean.
Export contacts, invoices and transactions from Tiime
Download CSVs for customers, invoices, expenses and bank transactions. Keep any receipts and attachments your accountant may reference later.
Confirm your DGFiP filing setup
Note which TVA number and CA3 history sat with your accountant, so Finovo settings match official registers when you take filing in-house.
Reconnect bank feeds in Finovo
Finovo uses its own open banking consent, so reauthorise each French and EU account inside Finovo, then import the last 90 days for a clean reconciliation window.
Add UK or German entities if expansion triggered the move
Create legal entities in Finovo before inviting cross-border staff — payroll and VAT onboarding depend on correct registrations.
Run one period in parallel, then cut over
File one more CA3 the old way while reconciling Finovo, then switch to direct submission once the period closes. Pick the approach your accountant signs off on.
Need help? Finovo support can review your Tiime export before go-live — send anonymised samples if policy requires. The goal is zero surprises on TVA or payroll deadlines as you take more in-house.
Common questions: Finovo vs Tiime
Our honest take
Tiime is excellent for micro-businesses. Its free plan covers basic invoicing, and its clean interface is designed for freelancers who aren’t accountants. If you’re just starting out, it’s a risk-free entry point.
Finovo becomes the right choice when your needs go beyond basic invoicing: direct DGFiP submission (not via accountant), payroll with DSN, UK or German operations, multi-currency, or a full double-entry ledger. Tiime’s collaboration model requires an accountant for many compliance steps; Finovo lets you handle them directly.
On price, Tiime wins at entry level with a free plan. But Finovo’s €18/mo includes features that would require Tiime’s paid plan plus accountant fees to replicate.
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Switching from Tiime? See our step-by-step migration guide →